


It's a Spy's Wonderful life

by KDCAL



Category: Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:00:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27906376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KDCAL/pseuds/KDCAL
Summary: Disclaimer: This story is based on characters that are copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions . It is meant for enjoyment purposes . I retain the rights to the plot and not the characters.Set after Utopia Now episode. The only liberty I have taken is I have moved the real life White House State Dinner for the Prince and Princess of Wales to early Dec .The real date of the dinner was Nov 9,1985.This story is inspired by the classic Christmas Movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Carol”Will the State dinner and their adventure in the swamp cause tensions to boil over  with Lee and Amanda? Divine intervention and a little Christmas magic is needed to help them see whats important.





	It's a Spy's Wonderful life

  
Chapter 1

Amanda was stunned and visibly upset by Lee’s behavior. Could it possibly be that Lee was finally confronting his feelings toward 

her..or was that just wishful thinking? She also thought about Francine’s last insults. Normally Amanda tried to ignore them, 

but with all the work and stress in the last month she was exhausted and just wanted to go home! Her long days that past month 

had started right after the incident in the woods with the subversive terrorist group. She and Lee had been handcuffed together 

and were lost in a swamp. While handcuffed in the dark their desires had spilled over and had they not been interrupted she knew 

their true feelings would have surfaced. In the end they had escaped and had stopped the plan to assassinate the President while 

flying to the underground White House. Lee’s denial of their feelings for each other had taken over and he had awkwardly passed 

it off as two people trying to get warm. To which she had replied “Not exactly!” and had walked away from an astonished Lee.

4 Weeks before:

Billy had an important announcement, so the bullpen was packed with agents waiting to hear what was going on.“Listen up, people!” 

Billy bellowed. “There’s going to be a White House State Dinner in a month for Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of 

Wales, and the White House wants security to be top priority, especially after that scare with the assassination plot at the 

underground White House! Also the Royal Palace is concerned as well. So all of our intelligence agencies will be working 

alongside Scotland Yard and the Royal Security Team. I have assigned Scarecrow and Francine to head up the security task force. 

They will give you your assignments so I am giving it over to Scarecrow now to inform you more.”

Lee moved next to Billy and Francine stood next to him. He cleared his throat and began informing everyone of the protocols.

“We are working with the CIA, FBI, and Secret Service . There will be safeguards put in place so that every member of the task force is checked as well as all 

the guests and any staff from the White House including anyone who enters before or on the actual night of the dinner. There will be security cross checks with 

each agency. We will be scrutinizing every one who enters and sweeps will be done every two days until the state dinner to ensure the tightest security. Now we 

are doing this because there has been some chatter about terrorist activities in general and especially as Billy mentioned the recent assassination plot. At 

this time, we don’t have an actual threat against either the White House or the royal couple and we want to be on our toes in case there might be. Once this 

visit is announced later today to the public there could be more chatter. One thing the White House has asked is that the most senior agents be put as section 

chiefs for each branch of security. So let’s make this a successful state dinner. Francine and I will be meeting with the agents we want to head up the security 

details. There will be security on the outside perimeter. Inside, each agent will be in charge of the White House staff, guests, janitorial crews, to name a 

few. There will be a team that does background checks. Once the background checks have been completed we will hand over our findings to the FBI and the CIA etc. 

They will do the same for their findings and we will crosscheck their reports. This is unprecedented for all of our agencies. Scotland Yard and the Royal Family 

security personnel will also do their own checks as well. It’s a large undertaking but as Billy said we are up to the task. Francine, will you announce the 

heads of the security details and pass out assignments please?”

As Amanda listened she wondered what area she would be asked to work in, hoping that Lee would ask her to assist him. After all, they were partners. When 

Francine was done she passed out folders to everyone with their assignments. Amanda was surprised to find that she was on the guest list security team in which 

she and four other agents were to do background checks on the invited guests. Beaman was the section chief. 

As the meeting broke up, Amanda got Lee’s attention from across the room. He motioned for her to come over.

“Lee I thought we would be working together since we’re partners” Amanda inquired.

“ Sorry, Amanda, this is a whole different thing. I am a senior agent and so is Francine and that’s why we were picked to head this up. I can’t have you as an 

assistant because you don’t have the

security clearance to be in and out of the White House until the actual event. I know you will do a good job; that’s why I recommended to Francine to put you on 

the guest list team…you always are so thorough in these types of things. Have fun with Beaman!” he smirked. 

Amanda nodded her head (“yeah thanks”) and smiled dimly.

Francine overheard their conversation and came over and said “Amanda dear, will this interfere with your PTA meetings, or your kid’s…umm… what is it missile 

baseball games?”

“No, Francine, I will make sure they don’t! Their team is the Bombers and baseball season is not till spring,” Amanda added sweetly as Lee rolled his eyes and said

“Come on Francine, knock it off!” 

“Well one can never know what will distract your attention, Amanda” Francine said flippantly.

Chapter 2

1 day before the state dinner:

Amanda was going over last minute details for the state dinner. The agents on the security details had all done superb jobs on their assigned areas. There had 

been minor problems but no extreme worries to distract them and cause them to have to investigate in depth. There were various celebrities such as Neil Diamond 

and John Travolta who were going to be attending as well as government officials and friends of the President and First Lady. As she was writing a last minute 

checklist for the next day the phone rang on her desk. 

“Hello?” 

“May I speak to Amanda King?” 

“Speaking,” she replied.

“ Hello Mrs. King, this is Clarence Bailey of the CIA.”

“Oh hello Mr. Bailey, what can I do for you?”

“Well Mrs. King you have come to our attention!”

“Oh my gosh!What have I done?!”

“Well you haven’t done anything…uh, well, yes you have…er...”

“Oh Mr. Bailey, I am sure whatever you are calling about can be cleared up! Is it about my mother’s problem with that book store? I thought that was over…” 

“Mrs. King…no, it’s about the background check on you for the state dinner.” 

“Oh my gosh…it must be about my ex-husband’s job with...and it’s the day before the dinner…I hope this can be…” Amanda had started to ramble and the agent interrupted.

“Mrs. King, please, it’s none of that…well you see some of our people here at the CIA have been reading about you from our background checks and think you would 

make an excellent candidate to work as a data analyst with us. You seem to have a good logical and analytical mind according to your section chief Billy 

Melrose, and according to your partner Lee Stetson you think outside the box.”

“Lee told you that?” Amanda questioned.

“It’s in one of his reports…um…I haven’t talked to him! I know this is not really a good time to make a decision, but I would like you to consider this offer. 

We can talk more after the state dinner—maybe at the end of next week...how is that?” 

Amanda hesitated as the door flung open and Lee hurried through the door to his desk to look for something. This distracted Amanda and she stuttered a little..

“Uh well...well yes I guess so…ahh” She looked over at Lee who was pointing to her on the phone and pointing to his desk. She shrugged her shoulders at him. 

His desk was a mess as usual and she wondered what he needed.

Lee finally found what he was looking for and looked questioningly at Amanda as to who she was talking to.

“Oh…um…yes, Mr. Bailey, that will be fine!” Amanda was shocked over what she was hearing.

“Now one thing more, Mrs. King--this job would be more of a desk job, not a field job. Mrs. King, do you mind if I talk to Mr. Stetson and Mr. Melrose about this?”

“ Oh yes it would be fine to talk to Mr. Stetson and Mr. Melrose...well thank you for your call Mr. Bailey.”

“I will talk to you soon Mrs. King. Goodbye.”

Amanda hung up the phone and said “That’s odd!”

Lee asked “What’s odd? Who was that?”

“Um…a Mr. Clarence Bailey of the CIA.”

“Oh Bailey…what did he want? Did he need anything for the security checks?”

“Well no…um I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?” Lee asked.

“He offered me a job with the CIA!”

“What!!” Lee shouted “The guy is poaching our agents!?”

“Poaching?” Amanda questioned.

“Of all the nerve, A-man-da! That guy...poaching…stealing our agents! You told him ‘no’ right?”

“No...I said I would think about it! They want me to be a data analyst.”

Lee scoffed “A desk job...that’s not for you!”

“How do you know?!” Amanda said defensively.

“Well I just…uh think you wouldn’t like it!” Lee stuttered.

“I will have to think more about it...it might be good for me. A desk job would be more flexible for me. I wouldn’t miss as many of the boys’ games and I might   
be able to have regular hours...and…” “And what?” Lee demanded.

“I wouldn’t have to lie so much to my mother!”

Lee stared at her. “Amanda, I thought you were over that!”

“Well, no, I still don’t like being so secretive to her. I have had to tell her we are working on a documentary about the state dinner and preparations for it.” 

“You had to?”

“Yes.This is something very exciting and she loves the royal family! I really wanted to share this with her,”Amanda sighed.

“I’m gonna call this guy and give him a piece of my mind,” Lee yelled. Just then Francine walked in as Lee was finishing his sentence. 

“What’s going on?” Francine asked. “Have we got any snags in our security details?”  
  
“No...no I’m just blowing off steam! Some guy over at the CIA is trying to poach Amanda from the Agency!”

“Really ?? Oh my, are they in need of a den mother?” she said sweetly. “Do they have a shortage of cookies and need someone to head up their bake sales?” she snickered. 

Amanda started to say something and then thought better of it and went to go file some things in the vault. 

“Not now, Francine!” Lee growled. 

“Alright, alright, I just thought I would drop off these reports from the security section chiefs. I’ll leave you two to sort out your little 

spat!” Francine smiled and walked slowly out of the office looking over her shoulder at Lee.

Lee went into the vault to talk more to Amanda. 

“So you are thinking about leaving me...er…I mean the agency? I mean I thought we were working well together?”

“ So you would miss me, Lee?” Amanda asked.

“Well ah yeah of course! And besides I would have to break in a new partner!”

“So it’s more about your comfort than about me and what I need?” she asked.

“What about what I need, Amanda?” Lee asked. 

“What you need? I don’t get it!” Amanda was beginning to feel Lee’s confession and the conversation was not really the heart of the matter and was taking on new meaning. She hoped maybe he was finally confronting his feelings about the two of them.

Lee dug his hands in his pockets.“Look I just hate...I’ve gotten used to how well we work together...and I, I don’t know if I could accept another partner. You   
know when we met I had sworn off partners.”

“Yes I remember,” Amanda said softly.

“So you and I”...Lee was starting to panic. How was he going to get out of this? He was beginning to feel uncomfortable with how the conversation was headed. 

The embrace in the woods flashed before his eyes and the flight or fight instinct kicked in for him. Lee ran his hands through his hair. Their closeness inside 

the vault was having an unusual effect on him just like it had when they were in the swamp. 

“Umm… well I just don’t like them poaching on my territory and I’m gonna call the guy and give him a piece of my mind!” Lee stated.

“ So I am your territory?” Amanda stood squarely with her hands on her hips and stared icily at Lee. 

“You don’t get to choose for me, Buster!” Amanda poked her finger into Lee’s chest. “Somehow I don’t think this is about poaching, Lee!”

Lee was feeling frustrated. The conversation wasn’t going the way he wanted it to and he was trying to figure out a way to change the topic. “Amanda look…I 

can’t talk about this now--maybe later. I’m late going over to the White House for tonight’s final check. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Lee stormed past Amanda and rushed out the door as fast as he could go, slamming it as he went.

Chapter 3 

Later that night:

Amanda arrived home earlier than her mother had expected. Dotty was sitting on the couch with some popcorn watching a movie on tv.

“Amanda darling, you’re early!! How is the documentary going? I thought you would be home later. It’s just so exciting you will be able to attend the state 

dinner! To think that Princess Diana will be there! I don’t think much of her husband…but oh to think this will be something to tell your grandchildren about!” 

As Amanda plopped down on the couch she said

  
“Mother we’re making a documentary. I am not there as a guest,” she sighed. 

“But dear, you are going to meet Princess Diana!” 

Amanda nodded, too tired to speak.

Dottie noticed that her daughter looked worn out and a bit upset.

“Amanda dear, what’s wrong?” 

“Oh mother it’s just exhaustion! It will finally be over tomorrow!” 

“Won’t you have a lot of editing to do after?” Dotty questioned.

“Oh that’s right, yes we will. But I can’t think another thought about it right now.”

Amanda curled up in the opposite corner of the couch. She was hoping her mother hadn’t seen that she had been crying. 

Amanda noticed what her mother was watching on the tv. 

“Is that ‘A Wonderful Life on tv? I remember when we would watch it together when I was a little girl!” 

“Yes you know it’s one of my favorites, and you watched it every year with me! I just love Clarence the Angel and Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey...well you know 

he’s my favorite actor!” Dotty rambled on. “I think this channel is planning to show it once a week till Christmas. Oh Amanda, let me help you up to bed! You 

look like you are going to fall asleep any minute!” 

“No mother, I don’t want to move! Just let me lie here,” yawned Amanda.

“Let me get you something to keep you warm.” Dotty ran up the stairs and got a blanket to cover Amanda.

  
”Here you go, my girl! Be comfy.” 

Dotty tucked the blanket around Amanda. As Amanda’s eyes drooped she heard from the tv, “you’ve never been born”, and thoughts of her conversation in the Q 

bureau with Lee raced through her head;

Thoughts of “Sometimes I wish I never took that package from Lee” went through her brain.

Chapter 4 

  
Later that night:  
“Amanda, Amanda…wake up! We haven’t time to delay!” said a voice. 

Amanda drowsily looked up from the couch from where she had been lying and there was Emily Farnsworth standing in front of her. She squinted her eyes.

”Emily, what are you doing in my house?” Amanda inquired.

“My dear, I am here to take you on a little trip!” 

“What? I can’t go anywhere…tomorrow is the state dinner!” 

“Come, Amanda!” Emily pulled Amanda off the couch. “We are going to the train station.” 

“What—why---how…?” 

Immediately they were standing on the train platform. Amanda turned around confused as to how she had got there. People were scurrying about running to catch   
their trains. Amanda immediately recognized that it was the train that Dean took the day she met Lee. 

“What’s going on Emily? I must be dreaming this! I think I fell asleep watching ‘It’s A Wonderful Life on tv,” Amanda wondered out loud.

“Well, Amanda, I am here to show you what would have happened if you had never taken that package from Lee.”

“Why...how can you do that?”

“Well you said sometimes you wished you had never taken that package from Lee. So I am here to show you what would have happened if you hadn’t met Lee or joined   
the Agency.”

Amanda was still confused how this could be happening. 

“How do you know about that, Emily? This is definitely a dream…yes that’s what it is,”Amanda declared.

”Dear girl, this is a very special assignment for me! Look…there is Lee running from the agents...and look there is Dean...he took a taxi because you were going   
to a job interview and didn’t have time to take him to the train station.”

Amanda stood amazed and watched as Lee ran between the trains. She called out to him but he didn’t seem to hear her. Then she saw him grab Dean and give him   
the package...Dean!? Dean look stupefied but got on the train with the package. 

“He won’t find the man with the red hat…there are dozens on the train!” Amanda cried. 

“We’ll see,” said Emily. 

Suddenly they were at her house and Amanda watched as she and Dean were talking on the phone.

“Craziest thing happened when I was getting on the train for New York. Some guy in a waiter’s suit gave me a package and told me to give it to a guy in a red   
hat!” Dean laughed. 

“What did you do?” Amanda asked.

“I found a guy in a red baseball cap and gave it to him.” 

“That’s all?” Amanda asked. 

“Yeah! Crazy, huh?” Dean replied. “Hey how did your interview go for the receptionist job at the real estate company?” 

“ Oh…they said they had a few more interviews and would let me know next week.” 

Amanda turned to Emily. “So that’s not so bad! That’s wonderful that Dean found the man in the red hat!” 

“Just wait!” Emily replied with a grim look on her face. 

They were now in a hospital room. Amanda knew it was Galilee General and Lee had his knee in a brace. 

“Ohh… no!” Amanda said. “This is when Lee was brainwashed to kill Billy!” 

“That’s right, Amanda, and because you were not there to hear about Lee’s dreams and witness his odd behavior in the hospital, Billy was killed by Lee!” Amanda   
cried out “No---Lee would never kill Billy!” 

“But Amanda, you were never there to stop him or find the doctor’s test notes!” 

“So what was I doing?”

“You got the receptionist job and Dean got transferred to Oregon for a weatherman job there.” 

“But I just can’t believe...Lee would never go through with killing Billy!”Amanda cried. 

“Come look, Amanda!” Emily turned Amanda around and immediately they were at the graveside looking at Billy’s headstone. Billy’s

wife Jeannie and Francine were there putting flowers on the grave. The two women were talking and Amanda was able to hear what they were saying. “Jeannie I am   
so sorry this happened. I don’t know what overcame Lee. He must have finally been so burnt out and out of his mind that he didn’t know what he was doing!”

“ I know, Francine! Billy looked at Lee as a son. It’s just unthinkable,” Jeannie cried.

“You have my word, Jeannie. As Billy’s replacement I will do everything in my power to get to the bottom of Lee’s betrayal. Maybe he was compromised by foreign   
agents.” 

Amanda looked horrified. “Francine!” She tried to grab Francine’s arm but Francine did not acknowledge her presence.

“Francine you know Lee wouldn’t do such a thing!!” Amanda was desperate, but she could not break through to Francine. 

“Why can’t I talk to Francine and tell her what happened, Emily?” she cried.

“Amanda, don’t you see this is to show you how our choices affect others? It’s like a pond when you throw a stone in and see all the ripples in the water and   
how they widen and spread out. You chose that day not to take Dean to the station, thus setting in motion how you would affect the outcome of many cases at the   
agency.” 

“But Emily I did take the package! I…I do work at the agency and Billy is alive! This has got to be a nightmare! I wish I could wake up!” “Not yet Amanda…I want   
you to see some other things,” said Emily.

  
“I’m sure if I just wake myself up…”Amanda closed her eyes and opened them again. She and Emily were still standing in the cemetery. “It’s no use Amanda. This   
is not a dream.”

“It’s got to be,” Amanda insisted. 

“Let’s go! We need to keep on time!” Emily stated. Immediately they were at the park marina after the cabinet secretary had been blown up. “Emily..how do you do   
this? How come we can visit these places and just be here? I am just over exhausted!” 

“This is all happening Amanda” Emily said as she patted Amanda’s arm.

“ I’m not sure I...I don’t know how to explain this. I think I am going to need to take some time off after the state dinner. This must be exhaustion.” 

“No Amanda. You need to see how important your work has been. You told Lee in the swamp that you felt you were a burden at times.”

“What if this is real…how would you know…?”

“Never mind that! Let’s see about this young mother. Do you remember her name?” 

“Yes it was Elizabeth Sullivan and she had a baby boy Justin, and they arrested her for the explosion and murder of the cabinet secretary.

But Lee and I uncovered the truth.” 

“Yes because of your loving and good heart. You believed in her because of your desire to connect to people, and Lee trusted your instinct to see goodness in an   
innocent mother. But in this instance now you are no longer a part of her life. There wasn’t Lee or you to act in her defense so an innocent woman went to jail.   
The truth was not uncovered. So her son grew up not knowing his mother. She didn’t get out of jail till he was an adult. By that time it was too late. The boy   
Justin was bitter and wanted no part of a relationship with her. See, she’s leaving the prison alone.” 

Amanda turned around and saw Elizabeth walking out of the prison and getting into a cab. “Oh my gosh, she lost her son and her husband!” Emily nodded and said   
“And there is more.” 

“Emily if this is real I’m not sure I can stand to see more!” 

Emily said “But this one is very important to me.” 

“Ok…but…”

“It has to do with me, Amanda. Remember when you and Lee were in Austria looking for me? You were the one who figured out I was sketching clues about the case   
and where you might find me. If you and Lee hadn’t found me I would be dead!” 

Amanda gasped “That’s right!! You had letters spelled out in each picture!”

“I owe my life to you Amanda!” 

“Yes, but you’re not Emily…you’re...a figment of my imagination!” 

“Are you sure about that Amanda? Are you ready to see Lee now?” Amanda nodded, still very confused and unsure if that was really happening to her.

Suddenly they were standing inside the Agency. Amanda recognized Lee standing with his back to her. 

“Oh this is wonderful!! Lee is working at the agency! He must have been cleared from killing Billy!” 

“Well…yes and no, Amanda…” 

Amanda noticed that the bull pen was empty and most people were gone except for Francine who was in Billy’s old office. Her name was on the door. A much older   
Lee came into the bull pen pushing a broom. Amanda noticed he was wearing a uniform. Lee started collecting the waste baskets and emptying them into the large   
container out in the hall. His hair had streaks of gray in it and he hung his head as he was doing his work. Francine left her office to talk to Lee. She put   
her hand on his arm and Lee nodded and gave her a slight smile.

Amanda called out “Lee!” but he made no notice of the two of them watching him. 

“Remember, Amanda, no one can see us.” 

“But what’s he doing? I thought Francine was going to investigate!” “She did. Lee couldn’t remember anything and nothing was proven till many years later after   
he had been in prison. He had been convicted of killing Billy and was serving a life sentence. The doctor who had brainwashed Lee died and his papers on those   
experiments were found among his effects proving that Lee was not aware of what he was doing. He was freed but it was 25 years later. 

“Lee spent 25 years in prison!” Amanda wiped the tears from her eyes. 

“Yes and when he was released Francine got approval from the agency to hire him as the night janitor. Of course his high security clearance was never restored   
because of his time in prison, no matter that he was innocent. But the agency was kind enough to give him a job.

You see, Amanda, just your simple act of kindness and trust by taking the package really made a difference in the lives of people around you and who you cared   
about.”

“I...guess so...I’ve always felt…well Francine made me feel so insignificant. If I were to leave the agency, I could do the same with the CIA job.” 

“Possibly you could…that’s up to you. But you would be analyzing papers-- not connecting to people in need. It’s your choice.”

“Thank you Emily, or whoever you are!” 

“You’re welcome, Amanda! Now I must get you back because I have another job to do.”

  
Chapter 5   
Lee’s apartment that night:

Lee came home and poured himself a drink and sat down on the sofa. He was looking forward to getting some shuteye…but this thing about Amanda was nagging him. 

His life would have been so much simpler if he had never given Amanda that package 3 years ago. He wouldn’t have all these feelings swirling around in his head. 

Why did she want to leave the agency? Or more like, would she really leave? And why was this bothering him so much? He had had a hard time accepting her as a 

partner. But now they were a team and he valued her input. She seemed to be able to understand just what to say to people when he didn’t. But it was more than 

that, and Lee tried to push the night in the swamp out of his mind. The feel of her and the smell of jasmine in her hair. She being so close to him…Lee couldn’t 

get that out of his mind. Soon after, he had his yearly mandatory session with the agency shrink and somehow Dr Pfaff had got him to talk about his parents. The 

doctor said he had abandonment issues and that’s why he didn’t stay in relationships...if that’s what you want to call it. Hmm…maybe that was his problem. He 

felt Amanda was abandoning him. He shook his head---“No, Stetson, get real!”Amanda was different from all the women he had known. Instead of falling all over 

him she didn’t tolerate his playboy image and didn’t take him seriously. Lee thought about their awkward embrace. Just thinking about it made his face flushed!   
To distract himself, he flipped on the tv and saw that A “Christmas Carol” was on. He snorted... “Sheesh…Christmas movies already! Good old Scrooge! Bah   
Humbug!” He leaned his head back and started to drift off to sleep. The last thing he heard was “I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.” 

Lee woke up with a start. He thought he heard someone calling his name. 

“Lee, dear, wake up!” He opened his eyes wide and saw Emily Farnsworth standing before him. He jumped up, startled by her presence. 

“How did you get in here, Emily?” 

“Well, my boy, what kind of a question is that? Aren’t you happy to see me, your old friend?” 

“Well sure but…” 

  
“Lee, no time to dawdle! We have a tight schedule and I want you to see some things. The night is slipping by…” 

“Emily, what’s this about? I have to get some sleep because the state dinner is tomorrow...wait...this has got to be a dream!” 

“Oh goodness no, Lee, that’s what Amanda thought too! I’ve been very busy tonight and now it’s your turn to see what the future could hold for you!” Emily 

reached her hand out and Lee grasped it. Suddenly they were in the living room of his childhood home. And there before him were his mother and father...and that 

was him as a little boy! It was Christmas and they were opening presents. Lee ran his hand through his hair. “I must be very tired and drunk! This has got to be   
a dream! Standing here with my parents! Wait--I must have been kidnapped by some terrorists or something! I must be drugged!” “Goodness no, Lee! Do you remember   
this Christmas? You were 4 years old and your parents gave you a train set.”

Lee smiled “The kind where the steam actually came out of the smoke stack.” “Lee looked incredulously at Emily…”Oh Boy, this is some drug they’ve given me!” 

Emily insisted “Lee this is real. I haven’t got time to waste. It’s been a busy night. I am showing you times of Christmas Past. How can I convince you I am   
real?” 

Lee shook his head. “If I’m drugged or if this is a dream I just want to stay here with my parents! Please!” There was a small tear in his eye. “I wish you   
could Lee, but there’s more to do!” Emily took hold of Lee’s hand and the next minute they were in a department store. This time he was about 10 and he was with 

the Colonel. The store was adorned with Christmas decorations. The Colonel was instructing him on how much he could spend on his presents. Lee was dressed in a 

suit and the Colonel in his dress uniform. The Colonel looked annoyed and Lee looked disappointed and sad. 

“Yes I remember this Christmas. The Colonel had to go for 3 weeks on an assignment and he was going to be away, so he gave me 2 hours to pick out my presents.” 

“And what were you going to do while he was away?” Emily asked. “Barney said he would take care of me. We ate in the mess hall on Christmas. I sure would like   
to see Barney in this hallucination!”

“Lee you are not drugged, and look--was this your Christmas with Barney?” They were suddenly in the mess hall. There were a few other soldiers having dinner   
who were unable to go home for Christmas, and Lee was sitting with Barney eating Christmas dinner. “Good Ole Barney...we actually had a few Christmases like   
that!” 

“Do you remember Christmas 5 yrs ago, Lee?” “Oh yeah--I was on a stake out with one other guy.”

“Why, Lee?” 

“Oh because the Colonel was in town and...” as Lee said that they saw the Colonel sitting in a restaurant alone eating on Christmas Eve. He looked very lonely   
and he had a present with him addressed to Lee. 

“The Colonel told me he was going to an Air Force party.”

Emily touched Lee’s arm gently. “Looks like both of you were lonely but afraid to try to be together.” 

“Yeah I guess…I remember that present...he left it on my doorstep.”

“What do you think Christmas will be like this year Lee? Alone again?” Emily questioned.

“Probably put myself on the duty list!” 

“Why Lee?” Emily prodded. 

“Isn’t that better not to just think about it? I mean that was such a wonderful time with my Mom and Dad.” 

“So Christmas Present will be up to you, Lee, how your spend it. Didn’t Amanda invite you last year?” “Well yeah but it’s just too strange...I’d have to answer   
a lot of questions. You know her mother…maybe I might hang out on the patio.” 

“Well, Lee, do you want to see what your Christmas Future could be? It’s up to you based on the choices you make.” 

“Huh? What are you talking about?

“I’ll tell you now Lee. I was with Amanda earlier showing her what her life would have been like for people if she hadn’t taken the package from you.” 

  
“ What are you talking about? This is getting stranger by the minute.” Lee shook his head.

“Let’s go see what your Christmas Future could have been.” 

They were now standing in a prison on Christmas Eve. Lee was watching as he saw himself in the mess hall eating with all the other prisoners when a fight broke 

out and he was stabbed in the fight and taken to the prison hospital. As it was all happening, Lee looked very confused. 

“What is all this about” he demanded. “Why would I be in prison?”

“Lee, your Christmas Future could have looked like this had Amanda not taken the package from you.” Emily quietly said.

“Now what has Amanda got to do with this?” 

“Remember two years ago when that doctor brainwashed you?” Emily reminded him.

“ Oh man! Yeah...” 

“What did Amanda do?” Emily prodded Lee. 

“ Well, damn, she stopped me from killing Billy!”

“Yes and she uncovered the doctor’s plot. Had she not been around to do that you would have shot Billy and you would have gone to prison for life,” she said.

Lee looked shocked, “But I didn’t shoot Billy!”

“That’s right and all because of Amanda!” 

“I don’t know what’s happening but this is one weird trip.” Lee said.

Emily continued to explain to Lee the same things she had shown Amanda and him being a janitor. 

“Now I am going to show you what Christmas Future could look like.”

Emily and Lee were standing outside Amanda’s house. Looking through the window, he saw the boys opening presents and Dotty setting the table for dinner. He saw   
Amanda call up the stairs “Lee, I need your help getting the goose out of the oven!” He saw himself come bounding down the stairs and give Amanda a kiss on the   
cheek as he entered the kitchen. 

“Thank you sweetheart you’re such a big help”. 

Then the doorbell rang and it was the Colonal . Everyone sat down together at the table. Lee was sitting at the head ready to carve up the goose. He notice he 

had a wedding ring on. “Looks like we are married” Lee said to Emily. she nodded her head. Everyone looked happy and were laughing as they ate dinner. “Or your 

Christmas in the future can look like this. They were now back in his apt. He saw himself Older and very alone. He looked retired. The doorbell rang and a pizza 

was delivered to the door. Lee went and got a beer out of the fridge and sat down to watch a football game. He wondered what Amanda was doing at that instant. 

Emily read his mind and said “Amanda is with Philip’s family in Maryland” So you are old and alone. It’s up to you Lee what you want your future to be. Lee 

shook his head..he was quite certain he was drugged and hoped it would wear off soon!

  
Chapter 6 

The next morning:

Amanda woke up in bed. She didn’t remember how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on the couch. She’d had a dream...but it 

was so vivid…and then she remembered everything! It seemed so real seeing Emily. Amanda thought what Emily had said...her life was like a stone being thrown in 

the water and how the ripples branched out to expand and touch people. She shivered when she remembered what she had seen or dreamed: Lee as a janitor…Billy’s 

headstone. She wondered if all that would have really happened if she hadn’t taken the package? What had Emily said? The ripples in the water…that made her 

feel good. Yes, she had made a difference! She got out of bed to get ready to go to the agency for the last minute preparations for the White House dinner.

Lees apartment in the morning:

Lee woke up on the couch. The light through the window was hurting his eyes, so he staggered over to shut the blinds. As he went he stubbed his toe. “Damn!!” 

This got his attention and he stumbled to the kitchen. “Coffee” he mumbled as he passed by the coffee table. He noticed the scotch bottle on the table and the 

empty glass. “Boy what a night!” as the thoughts of last night came back to his memory. “I could have been drugged!” Lee thought. But the memories of Christmas 

Future in his dream…or hallucination…troubled him. What was he going to choose...what did he really want and why did he keep running away from it? One thing he 

realized from whatever he had experienced was the part where Emily made him realize how Amanda affected his and other people’s life. Lee entered the shower to 

wake up. He decided he would go to the medical clinic at the agency to get some blood taken. That might prove something. He was afraid that some enemy agents 

might have given him something and he could have spilled security plans to them. Lee also thought about the disagreement he and Amanda had had. He shook his 

head. He needed to apologize. No matter what, he and Amanda always worked out their professional differences. It was the personal ones that he struggled with.

Lee arrived at the agency clinic early and explained that he needed the blood test results asap. The tests showed no foreign substances--just that he still had 

a little alcohol in his system. Lee was relieved and just chalked it up to exhaustion and too much to drink.

Later in the Afternoon:

Lee and Francine held a meeting after lunch with all the teams. Lee finished speaking, and Francine added that she was proud of the work they had accomplished 

in a month. They had shown that other agencies could work together and that hopefully this had set a precedent. “Thanks for your hard work. Now I need you all 

to prepare to dress for the dinner. As stated before we have rented a few suites at the Marriott hotel for everyone to dress for the occasion so no one would 

have to go home. See you all over at the White House.”

Lee saw Amanda getting her things together and she seemed to be avoiding his eyes so he went over to her. 

“Amanda.” 

She turned around.” Oh Lee hi!” 

“Listen Amanda, about yesterday…” Lee was talking quietly so no one-- especially Francine--would hear. “I was way out of line! I’m not going to call Bailey. You 

know how I over react sometimes and…”

“Yes I know,” Amanda said quietly. “Go on.” 

“Well I’m sorry! You do what you feel you need to do but I really value our partnership!”

“Thank you Lee! That is really nice to hear you say it,” Amanda said.

  
Chapter 7 

Before the state dinner, the royal couple requested to see the security teams from all the agencies that cooperated with each other to make it a success. 

Amanda was very nervous! She had to remember everything for her mother who would be waiting for her asking her for details when she got home. There was a 

receiving line and each of the heads of the security details were standing with the Prince and Princess. When Amanda reached Princess Diana, Lee introduced 

them. Your Royal Highness, may I present Mrs. Amanda King of the Agency who assisted with the background checks on the invited guests.”

The Princess smiled and said “Why thank you, Mrs. King. And please thank your husband too for allowing us to have your service for us. Do you have children?”

Amanda smiled nervously and said “I am divorced Your Royal Highness, but yes, I have two sons: Jamie who is 10 and Phillip who is 12. They go to Arlington 

Middle School. Well Philip does.I usually carry their pictures with me but this”...Lee cleared his throat to interrupt Amanda’s continuing conversation as he 

could feel one of her rambles about to begin. Princess Diana smiled and said

“ How wonderful for you! I so enjoy my two boys very much. This is my husband Prince Charles…” Amanda shook hands with the Prince and rushed off to go back to   
her security station. 

1 hour later.

Emily Farnsworth was tired. For some reason she had not slept well the night before and tonight was going to be a long night. As she entered the grounds of the 

White House for the state dinner she was hoping to see Amanda and Lee. She knew they were both working there because she had corresponded with Amanda saying 

that she would be attending. As she approached the first checkpoint Emily asked the agent if they had seen Lee or Amanda. The agent told her to see the security 

guard by the door and he could tell her. As she approached the guard he asked for her entrance card for the event which she dug out of her purse. “Can you 

please tell me, young man, where Amanda King or Lee Stetson is? I am a personal friend of each of them.” “Yes Ma’am they are over there.” The agent pointed over 

to a secluded area near the entrance to the dinner. They were looking very intently at some papers and conferring with one another. “Lee, Amanda,” she called as 

she waved. They looked up and both had big smiles on their faces when they saw her. 

“Emily!” Amanda rushed up and hugged her old friend as Lee was right behind and gave Emily a kiss on the cheek. 

“Why it’s so good to see both of you! “ Emily declared.” You know I have slowed down a bit and not as active as I used to be. I am sort of semi-retired. That 

last assignment here with you all made me decide I need a little more quiet in my life.” 

“It’s good that you are taking care of yourself, Emily!” Lee stated as Amanda chimed in “Yes you should take time for yourself.” 

Emily nodded “We haven’t seen each other in ages! But somehow it doesn’t feel that way!” she stated in a perplexed way. 

“I know I actually had a dream last night and you were in it, “Amanda declared.”

“That’s funny…Emily was in my dream last night as well! “ chimed in Lee. 

All three said “Really?” at the same time and laughed.

Emily said “Come to think of it I may have had one with you both in it too. But I can’t recall.. Well dears I can see you are very busy...hopefully we will be 

able to spend some time together later.” 

“Emily, how long will you be in town? Maybe all three of us could go out to dinner together?” inquired Amanda. “

Lee nodded and smiled so broadly that his dimples showed.

“Oh that would be splendid! I am staying just down the street at the Willard Hotel until Wednesday. I will call you at the agency! But I must hurry off! I know 

you must be very busy right now.” They hugged again. Amanda turned to Lee.

“Gosh I guess our minds are working overtime if we both dreamed about Emily.” 

“Must be just a coincidence Amanda...we both knew she would be here...but it was quite unusual.” 

“Mine too--I kept saying that it was a dream and she kept insisting it wasn’t,” Amanda said

“Huh...that happened in mine too!” Lee agreed. “It was so life like and I actually thought I might have been kidnapped by some enemy agents and was drugged.”  
“Oh my gosh Lee….do you think..” Amanda stuttered.

“No I actually came in early to the agency clinic and got my blood tested…Just a dream!”

They both shrugged their shoulders. “ I have to go check on the grounds security” Lee said awkwardly as Amanda looked intently at him.

”oh yes see you later I need to give this updated guest list to Beaman” They both went in oposite directions to full fill their duties.

  
Later that Night:

  
It was late at the White House State Dinner. The Orchestra had started to play again and there were couples who continued to dance around the floor. Amanda had 

  
not seen Lee since dinner. Lee had sat at a table with a couple of ambassadors and Francine had managed to have herself seated at a table where there were a few 

  
single and rich businessmen and oil magnates. Amanda wasn’t as fortunate. She and some other lower level agents had been sequestered into another private area 

  
to eat close by the dinner. Amanda was enjoying the music and watching the couples dance when she felt a warm hand on the small of her back. Instinctively she 

knew who it was. Amanda turned to Lee who had a twinkle in his eye and a warm and inviting smile and he asked her 

“Do you care to dance?”

“Thank you Lee” Amanda took his arm as he led her onto the dance floor. Lee seemed a little hesitant at first and then as they came together their natural 

rhythm got in sync. Lee breathed in the fresh jasmine smell of Amanda’s hair as they danced cheek to cheek. He closed his eyes so that all his senses could take 

in her fragrance. Amanda felt her cheeks blush as they held each other tight. Not sure if she should say anything Amanda hesitantly leaned back to look at Lee 

and said..”Are you supposed to be making rounds?” 

Lee said “ Beaman took over for me for a few minutes. I couldn’t pass this opportunity to dance with you!” 

“Oh…ahh...you know we haven’t danced like this since when we first met,” Amanda reminded him. 

“I know,” Lee stated and guided Amanda around the dance floor. Amanda decided to be quiet and enjoy the moment. Lee didn’t seem to want to talk. Then suddenly 

he held her a little more tightly and she could feel his breath on her right ear. She felt her stomach tighten and gasped a bit enjoying the closeness of him. 

Lee whispered in her ear “Amanda...you know you were right...not exactly.” Amanda rested her head on Lee’s chest and gave a soft squeeze to his hand.

Nearby Clarence Bailey looked on and watched Lee and Amanda on the dance floor. He looked up and winked and said “Yes I thought it was a clever idea too...it’s worked before!”


End file.
